Rhode Island

Rhode Island

(Updated 8/25/2016)

In 2016, H7736 became law in Rhode Island. H7736 prohibits public entities in Rhode Island from contracting with companies engaged in boycotts based on "race, color, religion, gender, or nationality of the targeted person, firm, entity or public entity of a foreign state." Because BDS is not based on any of the enumerated protected categories but, rather, a protest of Israeli government policies, we believe that H7736 does not affect BDS-inspired boycotts, even though it has been widely described as an anti-BDS bill.